


Happiness

by BlossomingDia



Series: Shorts and One Shots [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (Or is it?), Abandonment, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Polyamory, Reunions, Running Away, Smoking, Unrequited Love, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:16:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlossomingDia/pseuds/BlossomingDia
Summary: There's no place in their happiness for him, but he still cant help but wish that there was.





	1. Chapter 1

The scene was set – white tables laid out with crystal glassware, glassy eyed family and friends who watched the happy couple as they danced slowly in the middle of the floor resting their foreheads against each other as the candle light illuminated their faces. A figure stood from their table and slipped away into the darkness outside of the room, unnoticed by the others who were enraptured by the visage of the two figures together. A bright pinprick appeared in the darkness followed by a stream of smoke and the figure stopped to cast a glance to his side. 

“You could just tell him you know…” The younger man said as he slid in beside his friend and declined the offered cigarette “I’m sure that Jeno would understand, after all you guys were a couple until not long ago and I’m sure that he wouldn’t be upset about it-“

“That’s why it’s nothing to do with me. Jeno’s too kind and he’d say it was fine.” He sighed.

“Why is that a bad thing though hyung?” the younger man asked

“Because Chenle, he’d be lying I know him better than anyone else after all. If you look at them you can see that they’re in love with each other, and there’s no place for me in that.” A sniffle broke through the air and Chenle sighed slightly before tucking his face into the older man’s neck. 

“So what are you going to then Renjun hyung?”

Renjun sniffled slightly and scrubbed a hand over his eyes as he stubbed his cigarette out and re-entered the hall in time to see the couple part with happy smiles. Tapping a spoon against a glass, Renjun stood and with the attention of the guests on him he plastered a smile onto his face and blinked back the tears that welled at the sight of his friends smiling back at him. “A toast to the happy couple! I hope that your life together will bring you much happiness and satisfaction since there are no people in this world who deserve it more than the two of you!” 

A cheer went around the room as the guests sipped their drinks and for a brief moment Renjun allowed his head to fall, concealing the wetness on his cheeks as he swallowed the champagne and set the glass down on the table, ignoring the concerned look shared between his friends as his grin reassembled. 

The dancing resumed after a beat of silence and Renjun made his way to Chenle, wrapping him into a tight hug and muttering a quiet “Don’t be a stranger” into his ear before pulling back and slipping out of the crowd. Out of the garden. Bitter and dark and unworthy of their light. Pausing at the gate, he pulled a picture out of his jacket and looked onto the image of Jeno and Jaemin glowing with happiness, and his own figure blushing between them. It was a naïve wish he realised, to hope that the two of them might love him in return and yet some vain part of him had imagined that it was their wedding and he was stood with them at the alter as they said their vows. He was stupid. So stupid.

Folding it along the middle, he let himself admire the visage of the picture without himself and nodded with resolution as he let it flutter to the ground. There was no place in their happiness for him, and so he would remove himself from their happiness. As his car pulled away, he pretended not to see the two figures approaching from the garden and pretended that the tears didn’t fall when they picked up that photograph and cast a lost look at his retreating car. 


	2. Chapter 2

“This is Renjun’s voicemail, if I’m not answering your call then I’m probably ignoring you! Anyways leave a message and I might get back to you…”

“Hey Renjun… You left the wedding early last night! We’re you not feeling good or something? Anyways we missed you and you should give me or Jeno a call at some point so we know you’re OK!”

-

“This is Renjun’s voicemail, if I’m not answering your call then I’m probably ignoring you! Anyways leave a message and I might get back to you…”

“Hey… Jaemin said that he’d left you a few messages after the reception and you haven’t answered. We tried stopping by a few times but you weren’t there so we figured you were at work or something. Anyway, call one of us back – we‘ve really been missing you these past two weeks and we should all go and get dinner or something at some point soon!”

-

“This is Renjun’s voicemail, if I’m not answering your call then I’m probably ignoring you! Anyways leave a message and I might get back to you…”

“Renjun are you OK? It’s been a long time since we saw you and you don’t seem to be home whenever we come around, I hope you’re not working too hard if you’re working this much… Chenle said he hasn’t seen you much recently… Please call one of us and check in ‘cause were worried about you!”

-

“This is Renjun’s voicemail, if I’m not answering your call then I’m probably ignoring you! Anyways leave a message and I might get back to you…”

“Did something happen at the reception? Is that why you don’t wanna talk to us? Because we can deal with whatever happened together ‘Jun, you don’t have to deal with it alone. We’re friends aren’t we?”

-

“This is Renjun’s voicemail, if I’m not answering your call then I’m probably ignoring you! Anyways leave a message and I might get back to you…”

“Where are you?! We spoke to your landlord and she said that you moved out a week ago and didn’t leave any forwarding address! Seriously Renjun what’s going on? If something happened then we need to deal with it together instead of keeping secrets and hiding things – please, please call us back Renjun –“

-

“Sorry, the inbox of the person you are calling is full try again shortly.”

-

“This is Renjun’s voicemail, if I’m not answering your call then I’m probably ignoring you! Anyways leave a message and I might get back to you…”

“We know that you’re listening to these because we couldn’t get through before. Please call us Renjun. Please. We miss you and we’re here whenever you’re ready.”

-

“Sorry – the number you have called has been disconnected. Please hang up and try again.” 


	3. Chapter 3

The clinking of the knife against the glass drew the guests into silence as Jeno stood and cleared his throat with a little smile “We’re here today to celebrate the marriage of two of the best people in our lives, so can we get a round of applause to Chenle and Jisung who may be the grossest couple to exist!”

There was laughter and applause interrupted by a little proclamation of “You and Jaemin are the grossest!” from Jisung who had flushed pink as his fingers entangled with his fiancée’s. 

“I’m so happy that we’ve gotten to see you two grow and fall in love like you did, and now that I’m stood here at your wedding I have to say that I’m so glad that two people as wonderful as yourselves have found each other. So now, a toast to the grooms! May their love and happiness be everlasting!” 

A cheer went up as the two pulled each other into a tender kiss and the guests gulped down their flutes of champagne before taking up their space on the dancefloor and beginning to dance with enthusiasm as the lights went down again. Jeno watched the couple with joy as they spoke briefly and shared another kiss and Chenle slipped away, leaving Jisung staring after him with a look of fondness. He slipped into the unoccupied space and nudged Jisung gently who pulled a face at him before dissolving into laughter. 

“Where’s he going? You guys have gotta do your first dance soon!” 

“He said that a guest he invited has just turned up, but they don’t wanna come in because they have to leave soon so he’s gone out to see him.”

“Damn. Who wouldn’t want to come into the wedding especially if they were close enough to him to be invited?”

“I know… Chenle wanted to invite him to be his best man, but he said that he wouldn’t wanna come with some people here.”

Jeno paused and cocked his head as a heavy sinking feeling settled into his stomach “Has this guy got a name?”

Jisung shrugged again “Renjun I think?” and Jeno bolted to his feet, grabbing Jaemin’s hands on the way out of the door and pulling out of the patio doors and into the dark gardens despite his protests. They stopped for a moment and were met with the sound of talking, then silence, and finally saw the shape of Chenle moving back through the dark grasping a box that was probably destined for the pile of other presents inside the hall. 

“What are you doing?” Jaemin hissed as he was marched quickly down the garden.

“We’re looking for someone!” 

“Who-“ The two of them stopped dead in their tracks as they caught sight of a thin figure who was waiting against the gate and stared at his phone, tracking the movement of a little car on screen until a voice caught his attention “Renjun?”. His head raised slowly and glanced backwards to where the glow from the party illuminated the two figures who stood together with hands intertwined into one. His eyes settled onto those hands briefly then glanced away looking guilty and pained as he tried to turn away from them, only to find himself captured in Jeno’s grasp. 

They stared at each other for a moment before the sound of the blow resounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised this ages ago but anyways here it is! There'll be some more updates on other fics in the next few hours and this fic will update again in a few days! ᅌ ˇ ᅌ


	4. Chapter 4

Renjun reeled back clutching at his nose as the blood spilled out of it onto his hands, staining his suit in the process as Jeno stalked closer.

“You fucking dick!” Jeno hissed as he raised a hand to throw another punch “You disappear for over two years with no explanation and then you just turn up again? Do we mean that little to you?”

Renjun stumbled away with a look of desperation as Jeno threw another punch which was deftly caught by Jaemin, who turned to look between them as he lowered Jeno’s fist and whispered sweet words into his ear to calm him until his husband’s rage seemed to have ebbed away into nothingness. The stared at Renjun with reproach though his eyes remained trained on the ground for a long moment before he spoke up “If there’s anything you want to say, then I suggest you do it now. I’ll be going again in a few minutes.”

“What happened at our wedding that made you avoid us? Was it… Did we do something to hurt you?” Jaemin asked quietly as he allowed Jeno to sling an arm around his shoulder and hold him closer. 

“No.” 

“Then what happened to make you leave us out of the blue like that?” 

Renjun seemed to hesitate for a moment before simply sighing. “Nothing happened. I just came to the realisation that it was better for all of us if I just…went away.”

“How could that ever be better!” 

The sound of a car horn rang into the garden and Renjun cast a glance towards it before turning away from the couple “I have to go. I hope that your marriage is happy and that you’re satisfied with your lives now.” He began to walk away only to find his arm caught in Jaemin’s grasp, holding him tight as he tried to pry himself out of his grip. The younger man’s eyes were desperate as he searched for any reason behind Renjun’s actions. 

“Is… is this because we dated in the past? I thought you said you were OK with me and Jeno dating and deciding to get married!” 

“I was- I am.” He corrected as he broke from Jaemin’s gaze “I wouldn’t have introduced the two of you if I wasn’t OK with you two getting together. I regret doing it a little – cause you’re so gross together you know? But you guys always said I was selfish right? Why would I do that if I had a problem with it…” His voice became soft as it trailed off and the couple felt pity swelling in their chests as they took in the look of sadness painted across his features. 

“Renjun… We found this in the grass after you left the wedding party. Why did you take yourself out of it?” 

The man stared at the little square of paper that he retrieved from his pocket and looked onto the visage of the couple together with a softening expression “Because, there’s no place for me in your happiness and I could see that, so I took myself out of it.” 

The car blared again and Renjun wretched his arm out of Jaemin’s grasp and walked out to the car, climbing side and hoping that they couldn’t see the tears that fell down his face as they pulled away.


	5. Chapter 5

The couple were on edge for the rest of the week as they waited for Chenle and Jisung to come back from their honeymoon in the Mediterranean and when the newlyweds, sunbronzed and glowing with the happiness of their new union, returned to their apartment the two were round there in twenty minutes. Jisung had retreated into the kitchen to “make some coffee” after he had sensed the hostile atmosphere, leaving the two alone with Chenle who fidgeted uncomfortably across from them. 

“We know you have his number, he miraculously turned up at your wedding so you must have some sort of contact with him!” 

“Well, sort of…” 

“Why didn’t you tell us when we thought he’d gone missing?” Jeno demanded. 

“He didn’t want me to tell you that he was leaving, so I didn’t say anything then because I worried that if I did he’d disappear completely…”

Jeno opened his mouth to argue back but was silenced by Jaemin’s hand on top of his own. “What we’re asking, Chenle, is that you set up a meeting with him for us. We just want to talk to him and find out what he meant by what he said at your wedding.”

Then younger man looked shifty again as his eyes snapped away from Jaemin’s pleading expression, and immediately the two caught it. “You know what he meant don’t you?” Jeno asked quietly as he stood from the sofa “Why wont you tell us what he meant! He was our best friend! We love him!” 

“I love him too!” Chenle protested as he clenched his fists “Its because I love him and I respect him that I cant tell you! But you don’t care because you’re too wrapped up in each other to see how much he’s sacrificed for you!” 

Jeno scoffed at his words “He sacrificed nothing, he decided to run away instead of dealing with his problems and the only thing he gave up was our friendship because of his own selfishness!”

“Selfish?” His voice was quiet but tinged with anger as it steadily rose to shout and he erupted in Jeno’s face “THE LAST THING HE IS IS SELFISH! HE WAS IN LOVE WITH BOTH OF YOU AND HE STOOD ASIDE TO LET YOU BE TOGETHER. HE PUT HIS OWN FEELINGS ASIDE AND SUFFERED THROUGH BEING YOUR BEST MAN TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. HE LEFT BECAUSE HE DIDN’T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULDN’T CONTROL HOW HE FELT! SO DON’T YOU EVER CALL HIM SELFISH BECAUSE YOU KNOW NOTHING!” 

Jisung came running to pull his husband away from the other couple who were pale in the face after hearing his words and couldn’t find a word of comfort as Chenle sank down onto the sofa, held close by Jisung, and began to cry quietly. Jisung snatched his husband’s phone from the table, looking through it quickly to find the number and shoving a note with it on to them and hissing “You got what you wanted, now get out. Don’t bother to come back for a while.”

They left without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if there are any spelling mistakes, I may have drank about ten flavoured beers and half a bottle of vodka before writing this haha! (＠^∇^＠)


	6. Chapter 6

The car ride home was filled with nothing but silence as neither of them could bring themselves to broach the topic of Chenle’s outburst, even when they got home they could only turn the TV on and pretend to watch it to avoid having to be the one to address it. Eventually, Jaemin cleared his throat softly to get his husbands attention and spoke softly “We need to talk about what Chenle said about Renjun.”

Jeno nodded in agreement yet the two lapsed into silence for a moment before he spoke “Do you think that Chenle meant what he said about why he left?”

“I don’t see why he would lie about something like that.”

Jeno sighed as he scrubbed his face with his hands “What do you think about it?”

“I don’t know what to think. I had always assumed that he’d left because he liked you or something when I saw how he acted around you before we got married.”

“I always thought that he still had a thing for you even after you broke up, I just didn’t wanna bring it up in case it hurt either of your feelings…”

“Well,” Jaemin said carefully as he watched Jeno’s expression “I think we just need to be open with no hiding or fear of hurting each other. How do you feel about Renjun?” Jeno seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, opening his mouth as if to speak before closing it promptly and casting his eyes down to his lap with reddened cheeks. At his refusal to speak, Jaemin took initiative and chuckled before scratching the back of his neck. “I gotta admit that I feel the same as I did when we first got together and we were gonna ask Renjun out. I loved him then, and I still love him now as I love you. I wont say any more about it if that makes you uncomfortable but I think its best to get it out in the open now.”

“I… I feel the same. I was on board when you wanted to ask him out when we first got together and I’ve never really changed my mind on it, even when I was pissed with him. I’m mad that he felt like he couldn’t talk to us about how he felt but I guess its our own fault for not realising how he felt.”

“So what are we gonna do about it now?” Jaemin with a little smile “If he still feels the same then I think we need to resolve this properly, and there’s no reason why we cant get a happy ending for all of us, then once we’ve dealt with it, we can go and apologise to Chenle and Jisung.”

“We need to call him and arrange a meeting so we can talk things over in an adult way.”

“Let’s do it then!”

The two shuffled closer until they were sat shoulder to shoulder and typed the number into the phone, pressing call and waiting as it rang.


	7. Chapter 7

The ticking of the clock in the café seemed obnoxiously loud as Jaemin and Jeno nursed their cups of coffee and stared out to the door. Renjun was supposed to have arrived five minutes ago and yet there was no sign of him on the street outside, and as the anxiety slowly crept over them Jaemin felt his leg begin to bob up and down rhythmically until Jeno seized his hand. “Babe, calm down, he’ll be here soon.” As if on cue, the bell tinkled and they glanced up to see a stony faced Renjun. As he settled at the table, the two of them allowed their faces to soften into smiles. 

“Hey.” They said. 

“Hello.” Renjun returned “What do you need? You weren’t too clear about it on the phone, and I’m not comfortable being here.”

The two of them nodded and exchanged a look before Jeno pulled a box out of his pocket and set it down on the table then opened the lid to show him the plain golden band that sat inside, tucked neatly into the velvet. Glancing up at him, they took in how Renjun’s mouth hung open and his face flushed red. “I know that you’re confused, but please listen to what we have to say for a moment,” Jeno insisted “We know that you’ve been avoiding us because of the way you feel about both of us, we know that you’re in love with the both of us and decided to give up your own happiness for the sake of ours by letting us date and get married despite the fact that it hurt you to see us do it. We need you to know that we feel the same way about you, and we did even before we got married but we didn’t want to say anything cause we didn’t think it was right to…”

“So,” Jaemin continued “We were thinking that if you still feel the same way that we do, then we want you to let us know so we can give it a try. So here’s a ring, if you want to be with us then you can take it and wear it and the three of us can have a go at making it work. If not then just return the ring and its your choice if you want us to leave you alone or if you want to be friends again. It’s completely your choice ‘Jun and we’re gonna be alright with anything that you choose to do.”

“I-“ 

“You don’t need to make a decision now, and you can take as much time as you need to come to a decision but just think about it alright?”

Silently, Renjun leaned forwards and plucked the box off the table then stood and turned to leave tossing a quiet “I’ll think about it.” Over his shoulder as he left them.


	8. Chapter 8

The scene was set – white tables laid out with huge bouquets of flowers, glassy eyed family and friends who watched the happy couple as they danced slowly in the middle of the floor resting their foreheads against each other as the fairy lights illuminated their faces. A figure stood from the head table table and slipped away into the darkness outside of the room, mostly unnoticed by the guests who were enraptured by the visage of the two figures together. A bright pinprick appeared in the darkness followed by a stream of smoke and the figure stopped to cast a glance to his side.

“Wow, you guys have only been living together for a few months and Renjun has already got you smoking” The younger man said as he slid in beside his friend and sipped his drink quietly “You should hurry up with that, it’s your turn to dance with him in a minute and if you miss your queue then you know that Jaemin isn’t gonna let you have your turn.”

“I know,” Jeno laughed “Why is that a bad thing though? I can go in in a while and dance with both of them and then there won’t be any problem about sharing Renjun at all.”

After receiving a happy smile from Chenle who nodded his head into the hall, he stubbed his cigarette out and re-entered in time to see Jaemin dip Renjun then plant a sweet kiss against his lips, earning a laugh out of the elder who brushed Jaemin’s cheek before turning to Jeno. Their hands were offered and Jeno accepted them, grinning at the sight of the three gold bands shining in the light and waiting for the music to start up again before there was a gentle chiming. Jisung and Chenle stood with their hands intertwined and smiles plastered onto their faces at the sight of their friends smiling back at them. “A toast to the happy couple! Things may not have been easy for the three of you to begin with, but standing here with you today I can definitely say that no one deserves to be happy and fulfilled in life as much as the three of you do and its our pleasure to be by your side so we can watch you fulfil each other’s lives and make our world a brighter and more loving place!” The two declared as they held their glasses high “To the happy couple!” 

A cheer went around the room as the guests sipped their drinks and Renjun could barely conceal the wetness on his cheeks as he gripped his partner’s hands tightly. “’Jun? Why are you crying?” Jaemin asked as he wiped the tears away with a look of concern. 

“I never imagined that this would happen… I never imagined that I’d be here with both of you and that we’d be doing this.”

His husbands shared a look and a smile before Jaemin pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket and handed it to his partner, allowing Renjun to look onto the visage of the three of them glowing with happiness, with his own figure blushing between them highlighted in stark white against their black suits as he clutched his bouquet. “It’s real ‘Jun, you’re here with us and we’re never gonna let you go again.” Jaemin whispered sweetly as he lifted Renjun’s hand to his lips and kissed over the shining band with a look of total adoration. 

Pulling the two of them closer, Renjun allowed himself to look out into the darkness of the garden remembering himself – cold, dark and bitter – walking through it and straying away from the light of their love. It didn’t matter now, he thought as his head rested against theirs and his eyes slipped closed, as long as their happiness existed they would always be there to bring him back into the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its not the ending I was originally gonna go with, but still we need a happy ending every once in a while. For anyone waiting for updates, there will be an update on Wife and My Prince tomorrow as well as a Johnyong fic to look forwards to! (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑)✧
> 
> Thank you for your continued patience and support with this story while I've been sick, and let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Imagine me writing something not explicit (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑)✧ That like never happens! Anyways, I've been thinking about this all day and figured that it would be good to write it just as a short. Let me know what you think!


End file.
